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William Rolleston : a New Zealand statesman

II

II

Rolleston admired the great sagacity and forceful personality of Seddon, and so far as party ties would allow occasionally supported him. For example, when Seddon brought in a bill to further Technical Education, Rolleston seconded the adoption of it in an enthusiastic speech showing a wide knowledge of the subject. But he was dismayed by the way everything was sacrificed to Seddon's personal ascendancy page 191and all power centred in his hands. He was infuriated by Seddon's exercise of his powers of patronage, and his open boast that other things being equal he believed in giving appointments to men of his own party.

In the distribution of public moneys, he saw at work the principle of "spoils to the victors", and he denounced Seddon's cynical warning to country constituencies that, if they did not favour the Government, they could not expect favours from the Government. He was constantly irritated by Seddon's flamboyant verbosity.